It’s kind of an old joke these days about how every Springsteen song is really about a car. It’s still a good one, and has a lot of currency in the circles that really know his work. It might be said that he’s drifted away from that theme in favor of more existential ideas of life in the world right now. But looking closer at the body of work as a whole, there really is no big existential shift. The same kinds of alienation and longing that exist in the songs about folk heros and villains are also present in the earlier work.

It is car-centered stuff, though, especially in the Born to Run days. It’s a sentiment that appeals to the teenage memories of every gearhead, but also inspires us to fix up our cars with new rims today. They maintain a kind of raw power, then, and seem to even be based on his early capabilities to write great songs with a lot of passion. But the power is also certainly in his own inarticulateness, where some of the notions he explores later, in great depth and directness, are only touched on here.

The early songs seem to be written with the car as a metaphor, but he was writing as if he wasn’t sure what the metaphor is for. It’s a pleasure to listen to Springsteen, in all of his work, then and now. There’s something utlitiarian about hearing the descriptions of Chevrolets, the engines and the tires , that can make the die hard fans look at the machine in the garage with a longing that we sometimes only have for a love that’s turned sour. There’s also something we recognize here, somewhere deep in the lyrics, about a search, and about the impossibility of that search. We set out to find something, and we’re still looking, too, and we’re all at the edges of a desert with our cars, sensing that the great joy of anticipation that we sometimes feel, is actually the real joy.

While Los Angeles is predominately known for its film industry, there is also a large theatre community in it and the surrounding metropolitan area. In addition to having some quality productions, audience members also have the opportunity of seeing celebrities and a potential next box office mega star onstage in front of them. And while this barely phases most of the residents of Los Angeles, for them celebrity sightings are commonplace, it is extremely exiting for the numerous tourists who visit the city every year. And the luxury Los Angeles hotels in the city are well acquainted with star and entertainment seekers and will have information on some of the latest celebrity filled productions.

Of course for true theatre people, finding a star or future film star, in a play is not the biggest attraction. They’re in the audience because they love theatre and just want to see that particular play for whatever reason. Of course it could have to do with a particular actor or actors that are in it, though it could just as easily be due to the play itself, the set design or the director. It could also be the theatre and the fact that they just want to check out the space. Whatever the reason they and celebrity stalking fans decide to attend a production, there are many to choose from.

The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles is not just a great live performance venue, it is also one of the city’s most venerated landmarks. This beautiful and elaborately designed and decorated theatre once hosted a 1933 Judy Garland Vaudeville performance and continues to present amazing performances and viewings today. It also hosts film festivals and can be rented out for private parties such as anniversaries and weddings. Next Friday night the theatre will be the location of the next So You Think You Can Dance auditions and on April 10 the Punjabi Society of Los Angeles will present SoCal Bhangra 2010.

No home room decoration is just right without the perfect blinds. It can change a bland and dull room into a room with energy and passion as long as you choose the right colors and material for the room you are decorating. It can also take a cheap room and make it look classy, so it is obvious why this would be so important. The best part about redecorating a room with drapes is that it is a lot cheaper than trying to redesign the whole room. The biggest problem is that there are a lot of different types of blinds and shades and they all serve different purposes and lend a different look to a room. Most of the types are available in any color of your choosing. Some, such as most shutters are not available in any color that isn’t the natural wood, but if you wanted purple shutters there is no reason why you couldn’t paint them yourself.

Bearing that in mind, color seems like the obvious place to start. While you might want to place purple shutters in your living room, if all the other furniture is varying shades of green, this might not be such a good idea. Try to stick with something complimentary. This does not mean that it has to blend in. If you want to spice a bland room up full of light tans and whites, place some bright yellow shades on the windows and wait for the light to flood the room with the warmth this will bring. This really only works for places that have a lot of sun though. If you don’t try a deeper shade with a stronger tone to brighten the room. On the other hand, if you do have a green living room already, maybe finding a complimentary green or similar tone of red can be the best way to go. If you aren’t sure what color would be complimentary to the color scheme of your room, go to your local hardware store, or find a color wheel . The color opposite on a color wheel is complimentary.

The last key is deciding on a style of shades you want in your house. There are a number of ways to cut down the many styles to the one you want . If you live in a sunny area, you will want to think about if you want the sun getting into that room. If you do, this will cut down on a number of options. If you do not, or if you want to be able to make it completely dark, there are other blinds for you. You will also want to think about if you like a contemporary look, modern, maybe even classical. This is how you will decide on the right curtains for you.

Travel between unfamiliar places can be as heady and exciting as the first time you ever set foot on an airplane. There’s something rather intriguing about being between two places that you’ve never been, leaving something unfamiliar behind, and seeing something unfamiliar just ahead. That’s how a lot of us travel these days, where there are many destinations before having the chance to get back home. It can be unnerving, for sure, and it can be rather taxing on the nerves, but it can also be an interesting way to see the world. For a time, it is as if there were no home, only a state of philosophical exile.

This is where it’s good to have a novel by Milan Kundera next to your bed, where fairport hotels can offer a glimpse into the sweet life for a short stay, but just enough time to soak in some lovely moments. It’s also the perfect time to indulge your curiosity about celebrities, and consider the importance of the sound bite since the turn of the last century. There’s quite a bit of information around about celebrities and airports , and it’s rather easy to see why. These kinds of travel experiences seem to be able to make us all think of ourselves as celebrities for awhile.

Stars who can’t seem to travel far without being seen and hounded live a kind of airport existence, where the idea of home is more platonic than actual. When home is a plural, and being catered to every day is normal, it can be a very tricky balance to keep one’s bearings. Rather than spending too much time in a labyrinth of existential associations, it can be a much better night to pass the time looking at traveler fashions and accessories and consider ways to make small moments easier. It can also be fairly exciting to consider how you might be walking in the same circles, and this experience becomes much richer, and more possible than the waiting and longing in between destinations.